Pulp treating system



Oct. 7, 1958 R. E. KLINE ETAL PULP TREATING SYSTEM Filedv April 8, 1954 INVENTORS RICHARD L. KLINE ATTORNEYS JOSEPH W. WILSON United States Patent O PULP TREATIN G SYSTEM Richard E. Kline, Tatamy, Pa., and Joseph W. Wilson, Milford, N. J., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Riegel Paper Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 8, 1954, Serial No. 421,811

13 Claims. (Cl. 92-27) This invention relates to the treatment of pulp in the manufacture of paper and more particularly to control means for various types of pulp refiners, for example, Jordan engines, Claflin refiners, etc. These types of refiners normally comprise a stationary housing having a conical pulp treating chamber in which is rotated a conical plug. Both the outer surface of the plug and the wall of the conical chamber are provided with what may be termed knives which, when the plug is rotated, cooperate to act on pulp passing therebetween. The pulp is fed into the conical chamber at the small end thereof, passes between the conical plug surface and the wall of the conical chamber and is discharged from the larger end of the chamber. The amount of work done on a pulp passing through the rener is determined by the spacing of the plug surface from the Wall of the conical chamber. This spacing is variable and may be adjusted by moving the plug axially and longitudinally of itself and the chamber.

In most instances the movable plug is positioned by a manually operated handwheel to obtain the required power load. This power load does not remain constant `over any period of time because of wear of the plug and shell. Our invention involves a method and apparatus for remotely positioning the plug as well as a means of maintaining a predetermined motor load provided the consistency and stock iiow through the rener are kept constant by other means. This has heretofore been accomplished by reversible electric motors or the like, various hydraulic devices, modified air motors, etc. One of these, however, has proved entirely satisfactory, the main reason being that with none has it been heretofore contemplated or in fact has it been heretofore possible to provide a constant and continuous backoif force for the plug. In the normal operation of most pulp reiiners the reliner acts as a pump which builds up or increases the pressure of the pulp as it progresses through the renner. This results in most cases in there being a positive force imposed on'the plug in a direction urging the plug into the pulp chamber of the retiner housing. Yet in certain instances during the operation of a rener it is essential that the plug be backed off, that is, moved outwardly in the pulp chamber if the rener is not to be seriously damaged. Hence, for example, if the supply of pulp to the reliner is interrupted or its Vdensity substantially decreased, the plug must be backed off if it is not to be urged inwardly to a position of Contact with the pulp chamber wall.

Also, as is well understood in the art, when operation of a rener is to be initiated, the plug should be in a retracted position in order that its driving motor not be overloaded. Therefore it is desirable to back off the plug if, during an operation of the refiner, the motor driving l the plug stops for any reason. In accordance with our invention means are provided for exerting a continuous and constant backoff force on the plug of a pulp rener. Another disadvantage of heretofore employed plug posislideway 25.

2,854,894 F Patented Oct. 7, 1958 adjustment of the plug throughout the latters useful life without any requirement for remounting or varying the mounting of our adjusting means. It further includes means for indicating when our adjusting means has reached the limit of its limited range of movement.

Our invention therefore broadly contemplates the provision of an air operated means for remotely positioning and maintaining a uniform thrust upon a pulp rener plug in an axial direction while at the same time maintaining a predetermined backoif pressure sufficient to withdraw the plug from the shell upon the occurrence of anything making this desirable or necessary. This uniform thrust will result in a uniformly refined stock if the consistency and flow of the stock through the re- Iiner are maintained uniform. The invention also contemplates the provision of a novel connecting means between the air operated means and the plug shaft of the rener permitting periodic adjustment to accommodate the limited travel of the air operated means and the greater travel of a plug during its useful life.

For a more detailed understanding -of our invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof and to the accompanying drawing in which that embodiment of the invention is illustrated and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a Jordan type reliner associated with which is a plug positioning device according to our invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view in section of the plug positioning device taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional 'view in elevation taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing more clearly a portion of the adjustable connecting means.

Referring to Fig. l, there is illustrated, as indicated a Jordan type reiiner which comprises an outer casing 10 fixedly supported on a stationary base mounting 11. Casing it), as will be well understood in the art, is provided with an inner conical chamber, not shown, in which is mounted for rotation a plug 12. The plug is supported for rotation by shafts 14 and 15 which extend through fluid tight journals 16 and 17 at opposite ends of the housing 1li. An electric motor 18 supplies driving power for rotation of plug 12, its output shaft 19 being coupled to shaft 14 of the plug by a coupling 20 which permits the necessary relative longitudinal movement of shafts 14 and 19. The reiner housing 10 is provided with a pulp inlet 23 and a pulp outlet 24, pulp being admitted through the inlet 23 passing between the plug and the pulp chamber wall (inner wall of housing 10) to the outlet 24. Both the conical surface of the plug 12 and the conical wall of the pulp chamber are provided with bars extending radially therefrom. Such bars are frequently referred to as knives. `Such refiner in treating pulp supplied thereto normally acts as a pump increasing the pressure of the pulp as it progresses from the inlet to the outlet. This results, as heretofore mentioned, in the plug being normally urged by the pulp on which it works inwardly in the chamber, that is, to the left, as seen in Fig. l.

To the outer end of plug shaft 15 there is connected a thrust bearing 25 of conventional form. This bearing may be partially supported by the basemounting 11 on a The plug may thus be moved farther into the pulp chamber of the reliner or retracted therefrom by movement of the thrust bearing. The portion of the apparatus thus far described is conventional. Our inv ention lies in that portion of the illustrated apparatus hereinafter described.

Our plug positioning apparatus comprises a diaphragm -housing made up of members 30 and 31 having peripheral flanges 30' and 31' respectively, by which they may be secured together in any suitable manner, for example, by bolts 32. A diaphragm 33 of any suitable material lis adapted to be supported by and between housing members 30 and 31 to form therewith air-tight pressure chambers 34 and 35. A shaft 36 extending from one side of the diaphragm housing'has an inner end ofreduced diameter which piercesthe center of the'diaphragm. A pair of metalplates 37 and 38, one on either side of the diaphragm are also pierced by the end of shaft 36 of reduced 'diameter and are secured thereon by anut 39 which urges them and the portion of the diaphragm therebetween tightly into contact with bushing 40 on shaft ,36. A gasket 41 is provided to assure an air-tight seal between Aplate'38 and the inner end of shaft 36, thereby preventing an escape of air from one of chambers 34 and 35 to the other.

Housing member 30 has an opening 42 which extends centrally therethrough receiving a threaded coupling memyber 43. `The coupling member also extends through a member 45 which forms part of the base mounting for the rener apparatus. The coupling member is provided with a ange 46 at its inner end so that ywhen secured to base mounting member 45 bya nut 47, the housing member 30 is drawn against and also xedly secure-d to the base mounting member 45. Coupling member 43 is sleeve-like in shape and is adapted to have extend therethrough the diaphragm shaft 36. A flexible sleeve 48 having a beaded end portion 48 is positioned between coupling member 43 and shaft 36 to provide an adjustable gas tight seal therebetween. The beaded end 48' is pressed between bushing-40 anda shoulder on shaft 36.

The inner end of coupling member 43 is internally threaded to receive anexternally threaded nut 49 by which the other or inner end of sleeve 48 is pressed against an inner shoulder of member 43. The construction is .thus such as to maintain the air-tight seal despite movement of shaft 36 through the coupling member.

yCompressed air conduits 50 and 51 are secured to the outer ends of bores'52 and 53, respectively, in housing members 30 and 31. In this manner the diaphragm may beloaded on either side. to any desired degree.

A substantial portion of the outer end of shaft 36 is threaded as at 55 and is adapted to carry a sleeve connectingassembly indicated generally at 56. The sleeve connecting assembly 56 comprises a tube-like member57, on

one end of which is formed or secured a plate member ,58 to provide Vin effect a circumferential ange.

The other end of sleeve member 57 is threaded to receive an internally threaded connecting member 59 which is adapted to be threaded onto the end of shaft 36. The sleeve connecting assembly may be xedly secured in any adjusted position on shaft 36 by a lock nut 60.

A cup-like member 63 is secured to the end face of thrust bearing 25. A slot 64 is formed in the side of the cup-like member 63 and is adapted to receive therein the sleeve member 57, plate member S secured to the end of the 'latter being receivable within cup-like member 63. A locking bar 65 is removably secured to the side i ofthe cup-like member acrossthe open end of slot 64 Vtherein by bolts 66 or the like.

The locking bar 65 is for locking the sleeve member in the slot but does not pre- `vent rotation thereof ,nor movement of plate member --58-within'the linterior of cup-like member 63.

As heretofore suggested,- the axial movement or ad- Ajustment of the plug during its ,useful life is normally relatively great, say about l2 inches. However, the adjusting movement of shaft 36 secured to the diaphragm 33 of the adjusting means is relatively small, for example, about 3 inches. Conventionally, as the plug of the reiner wears, its normal position of operation is at a point which is more advanced .in ,the pulp chamber of the rener. While the three inch range `of movement of the adjusting means is sufficient `to adjust the plug between its operative and inoperative position when the plug is new or worn to any particular degree, Ait is not of course enough to move the plug from inoperative to operative position throughout the entire range of movement of the plug during its normally useful life. The sleeve connecting assembly v56 which interconnects the thrust bearing and the adjusting means shaft36 is provided to accommodate this difference in the range of movement of the plug shaft and shaft 36. Hence when the plug is new, the sleeve-oonnecting assembly will `be threaded to its greatest extent onto shaft 36 and locked thereon.

After substantial use of the retiner and consequent wear of the plug, the operative position of the plug will be one of greater advance than permitted by the adjusting shaft 36. To indicate when this point has arrived, we provide a scale 70 mounted on a xed portion of the apparatus, for example upon member .45 of the base mounting, and a cooperating pointer 71 fixedly mounted on shaft 36. When the plug has been worn to the extent that to position it in its operative position within the rener requires movement of shaft 36 beyond the point at which the pointer 71 is on the scale 70, the sleeve connecting member may be adjusted to set the shaft 36 back so that the pointer 71 is again on the scale and preferably at the right hand end thereof as seen in the drawings. This may be readily accomplished by loosening lock nut 60 and turning sleeve 57 and threaded member 59 in a direction to move off shaft 36. This adjustment may be accomplished during normal operation as the pressures in both chambers 34 and 35 will remain constant despite movement of the shaft and diaphragm assembly.

As is well known, the position of the plug within a reiner determines the treatment to which the pulp is subjected. There are a number of ways in which to determine the proper position of the plug. We contemplate employing a measure of the load on electric motor 18 as the manner in which to determine the proper positioning of the plug. For this purpose we provide an ammeter mounted on any suitable control board .by which the current consumption of the motor may be determined at any time by the operator of the apparatus. By referring to the ammeter, the operator may advance Vthe plug as required by simply increasing the pressure in chamber 35 of the diaphragm housing behind lthe-diaphragm. This moves the diaphragm to the left (as seen 'in the drawings), thereby moving shaft 36, thrust bearing 25,-p1ug shaft 15 and finally the plug tothe left, increasing the amount of work done on pulp passing through the retiner and thereby increasing the load on the motor. He may retract the plug as desired by increasing the air pressure within chamber 34 of the diaphragm housing. Actually we contemplate, however, for the reasons hereinafter set forth, that the air pressure maintained in chamber 34 of the diaphragm housing will be substantially constant and that the plug will be adjusted by varying the pressure in chamber 35 alone. Hence by decreasing the pressure in chamber 35 the plug may be retracted and by increasing the pressure therein the plug may be advanced. Suitable, adjustable, relieving type pressure regulators may be employed in Vthe air lines for the desired operation of the device.

s'ure. This must be great enough both to move the plug and, when necessary, in so doing to overcome the pressure of the pulp tending to advance the plug in the pulp chamber of the reliner. We have found that a constant air pressure of about 15 p. s. i. in chamber 34 will prove satisfactory. In order that the plug may be backed off by reason of this positive pressure in charnber 34, it is necessary that chamber 35 be automatically vented upon occurrence of any operating condition of the rener which requires backing off the plug. For example, a solenoid-operated vent valve 79 for chamber 35 may be provided in conduit 51 which will be operated to vent the chamber in the event motor 1S stops. A switch (not shown) may be inserted in the motor circuit for controlling this solenoid-operated valve. Also, for example, a pressure switch 80 may be inserted in the pulp outlet of the reiiner which may be electrically connected in any suitable way to valve 70 and is operable when pulp is not owing t-o actuate the solenoid-operated valve 70 in conduit 51 to vent pressure chamber 35 of the diaphragm housing. By the provision of such means the plug may be automatically backed off to prevent damage to the reiiner when necessary.

Various changes and modifications may of course be made in the specific embodiment of our invention described above without departing from the scope of our invention which should therefore not be limited to any greater extent than that set forth in the appended claims.

We claim: I

l. A device for positioning one of a pair of relatively rotatable elements in a pulp rener axially with respect to the other which comprises a diaphragm, a diaphragm housing adapted to be xedly mounted relative to said reiiner, said diaphragm being mounted in said housing and separating said housing into two pressure chambers one on either side thereof, a shaft extending through one wall of said diaphragm housing and having its end therein secured to said diaphragm, a sleeve connecting assembly adjustably secured to the other end of said shaft, means releasably and loosely connecting said sleeve connecting assembly to said one movable element of said refner, means for supplying gas under a given pressure to one of said pressure chambers to load one side of said diaphragm, and means independent of said last-mentioned means for simultaneously supplying gas under a different given pressure to the other pressure chamber to load the other side of the diaphragm.

2. A device for positioning one of a pair of relatively rotatable elements in a pulp refner axially with respect to the other which comprises a diaphragm, a diaphragm housing adapted to be ixedly mounted relative to said refiner, said diaphragm being mounted in said housing and separating said housing into two pressure chambers one on either side thereof, a shaft extending through one wall of said diaphragm housing and having its end therein secured to said diaphragm, means operatively connecting the other end of the said shaft to said one element of the rener, a scale xedly mounted relative to said refiner and said diaphragm housing, a pointer mounted on said shaft to cooperate with said scale to indicate -the position of said shaft and diaphragm relative to said housing, means for supplying gas under a given pressure to one of said pressure chambers to load one side of said diaphragm, and means independent of said last-mentioned means for simultaneously supplying gas under a different given pressure to the other pressure chamber to load the other side of the diaphragm.

3. In combination with a pulp rener having a stationary pulp chamber, a cooperating plug rotatably mounted therein lon a shaft extending from opposite ends of the chamber, said plug and shaft being axially movable in said chamber, and means for rotating said plug and shaft in any axial position thereof, apparatus for adjusting said plug and shaft axially which comprises a thrust bearing mounted on one end of said plug shaft, a diaphragm, longitudinally adjustable means operatively connecting said diaphragm to said thrust bearing, a diaphragm housing iixedly mounted with respect to said pulp chamber, said diaphragm being mounted in said housing and separating it into two pressure chambers, means for supplying gas under a given pressure to one of said pressure chambers to load one side of said diaphragm, and means independent of said last-mentioned means for simultaneously supplying gas under a different given pressure to the other pressure chamber to load the other side of the diaphragm.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which the means for operatively connecting said diaphragm to said thrust bearing comprises a diaphragm shaft extending through one wall of said diaphragm housing and having its inner end fixedly secured to a central portion of said diaphragm, the other end of said diaphragm shaft being threaded for a substantial portion of its length, a sleeve connecting assembly threadedly mounted -on said threaded end of the diaphragm shaft, means for locking said sleeve connecting assembly in any threaded position on said diaphragm shaft, a plate member mounted on the free end of said sleeve connecting assembly, and a cup-like yoke member mounted on said thrust bearing and adapted to receive the free end of said sleeve connecting assembly through an opening in the wall thereof and said plate member therein. f

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 which includes a scale fixedly mounted relative to said pulp charnber and said diaphragm housing, a pointer mounted on said diaphragm shaft adjacent said scale to cooperate therewith to indicate the position of said diaphragm shaft and diaphragm relative to said housing.

6. A method of positioning one of a pair of relatively rotatable elements in a pulp renner axially with respect to the other which comprises exerting a continuous constant positive force in a substantially axial direction on said one element to urge it away from the other element, and simultaneously exerting a variable force on said one element substantially axially in the opposite direction to urge it toward said other element, and controlling the magnitude of said variable force to move said one element in either direction depending upon the relationship between the magnitudes of both forces.

7. A method of positioning one of a pair of relatively rotatable elements in a pulp refiner axially with respect to the other which comprises exerting by a gas under pressure a continuous constant positive resilient force in a substantially axial direction on said one element to urge it away from the other element, and simultaneously exerting by a gas under pressure a variable resilient force on said one element substantially axially in the opposite direction to urge it toward said other element, and controlling the magnitude of said variable force to move said one element in either direction depending upon the relationship between the magnitudes of both forces.

8. A method of positioning a plug in a pulp rener having a stationary 'pulp chamber, said yplug being rotatably mounted for cooperation with said chamber to treat a pulp passed therebetween, which comprises exerting a continuous constant positive resilient force from a gas under pressure upon said plug in a substantially axial direction to urge it away from said stationary pulp chamber, and simultaneously exerting a variable resilient force from a gas under pressure on said plug substantially axially in the opposite direction to urge it toward said stationary pulp chamber, and moving said plug in either substantially axial direction with respect to said stationary pulp chamber by varying the magnitude of said variable force with respect to the magnitude of said constant force.

i 9. In a Jordan engine the combination of inflated pneumatic means for constantly urging the Jordan plug into the Jordan shell, plug retraction means, opposed to 7 said pneumatic means, for retracting said plug when kthe pneumatic means is deated; an electrically operated air exhaust valve operatively connected to said pneumatic means for exhausting air therefrom when in lair exhaust position; and valve actuation means responsive to failure of stock supply or electric power to said Jordan for moving said valve to its air exhaust position thereby rdeflating said p neumatic means and permitting said plug retraction means to retract the plug from the Shell.

10. In a Jordan engine the combination of inated pneumatic kmeans for constantly urging the Jordan plug into the Jordan shell, plug retraction means, opposed to said pneumatic means, for retracting said plug when the pneumatic means is deflated; an air exhaust valve operatively connected to said pneumatic means for exhaust- Ving air therefrom when in air exhaust position; and valve actuation means responsive to failure of stock supply or stoppage of said `Jordan for moving said valve to its air exhaust position thereby dellating said pneumatic means and permitting said plug retraction means to retract the plug from the shell.

1l. VA device for positioning one of a pair of relatively rotatable elements in a pulp rener axially with respect to the other which comprises a diaphragm, means 25 diaphragm to said one said diaphragm being for loperatively connecting said element, a diaphragm housing,

mounted in saidhousing and separating said housing into twoipressure chambers, means for supplying gas under a given pressure `to one of said pressure chambers to load one side of said diaphragm vand variable means independent of said last-.mentioned'means for simultaneously, if desired, supplying gas under a variably different pressure to the other pressure chamber Vto load the other side of the diaphragm.

l2. A device according to claim l1 in which said one element is the plug of the pulp refiner and in which the other element of the pulp rener is the shell.

13. Aldevice according to claim l2 in which the means for roperatively connecting the diaphragm to the plug is adjustable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,686,217 Loman Oct. 2, 1928 1,706,944 Wessel Mar. 26, 1929 2,055,143 Bond Sept. 22, 1936 2,309,376 Avery Jan. 26, 1943 2,579,226 Cram Dec. 18, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 109,819 Australia Feb. 29, 1940 

